Habitat: Prefers human habitations or
farming/agricultural areas. This species is rarely found from either human
habitation, feed/grain stores or other structures used by people on a daily
basis.

Natural Diet:
Seeds, grains, insects

Diet at Rain Forest:
Rodent diet as well as a myriad of treats!

Size:
Body 1-2" with tail nearly equal to body length

RainForest Facts:
The common house mouse is one of the most widely distributed mammals on earth.

When living in the wild, the house mice generally seeks
out cracks in rocks or other natural formations in an effort to construct
underground tunnels and cavities that eventually can become an elaborate
complex of chambers. The various rooms (or chambers) are used by the
rodents for nesting and storage. Mice are actually quite clean creatures
and may actually use one of the chambers as a bathroom! Additionally the
complex will contain several escape tunnels and multiple exits to allow the
animals to escape predators.

When living with people the common house mouse will
construct nests in walls, under appliances, in storage areas or any other
suitable dry area that offers close approximation to a food source. Once a
suitable nesting site is found the rodents immediately begin to construct nests
from paper, thin plastic, as in discarded shopping bags, or other soft
substances and line them with finer shredded material.

House mice are generally nocturnal, although some are
active during the day in human dwellings. House mice are quick runners (up to 8
miles per hour), good climbers, jumpers, and also swim well. Despite this, they
rarely travel more than 50 feet from their established homes.

Mus musculus is generally considered both territorial and
colonial when living commensally with humans. Territoriality is not as
pronounced in wild conditions, however. Dominant males set up a territory
including a family group of several females and their young. Occasionally,
subordinate males may occupy a territory or males may share territories. Females
establish a loose hierarchy within the territories, but they are far less
aggressive than males. Aggression within family groups is rare, but all the
individuals in a territory will defend an area against outsiders. Young mice are
generally made to disperse through adult aggression, although some (especially
females) may remain in the vicinity of their parents.

The mice at RainForest Adventures are displayed in a
"Kitchen Cupboard" to show visitors the relative size of the mouse compared to
the rat.

Status in Wild:
Way to common! In a well balanced ecosystem this animal is a very
important source of food for many predators.